I gotta say, these tarts totally surprised me – the crisp and yet not overly dry crusts and the creamy, rich filling are a match made in heaven! And it’s all gluten-free! And delicious! Wait, I said that before, right?! But they were, my family literally devoured them and asked for a second batch! I had second thoughts at first about featuring them on the blog just because I’m not that happy with the pictures I managed to shoot, but they were that good that I just had to share them with you – you may find inspiration in this recipe at some point and that is more than enough for me.
So these gluten-free chestnut tarts are all you can expect from a tart that comes in a miniature form – crisp crust, creamy filling, it’s easy to bite into and it lingers on your palate into a delicious chestnut after taste, chocolate being the one that prevails at first. And hey, the fact that they are this small and cute seems to be making them taste better – true story! 🙂
The recipe itself is part of the same gluten-free campaign I started almost 2 weeks ago, a campaign which aims at bringing awareness on special diets and people who have special culinary needs, such as diabetes, gluten-free, lactose-free or various other illnesses and allergies that require removing a certain component from your diet. I joined this campaign with an open heart because I love food and I am lucky enough to not have to follow a diet, but other people aren’t and I found this to be a challenge – coming up with special recipes to help those in need or to provide inspiration to others.
But from all these special diets, there is one that quickly caught my attention – the gluten-free diet. Did you know that gluten is found not only in many food products, but also in many cosmetics of pharmaceutical products? Somehow it makes me realize once more how the industry cares more about the money and less about people. However, in the last couple of years, more and more gluten-free products and ingredients have become available, thus making this diet much easier. And thus making things like eating a proper dessert possible for those suffering from the celiac disease or gluten intolerance, things that seem so common for most of us, but forbidden for them.
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes having a blog is rewarding from another point of view as well – you get to realize that what you have is more than what others have and I can only be grateful for it!
- 200g gluten-free flour blend (plus extra for rolling)
- 90g butter, chilled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 200ml coconut milk, chilled
- 200g unsweetened chestnut puree
- 50g agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 70g dark chocolate, melted (at least 70% cocoa content)
- Mix the flour blend and butter in a food processor and pulse until grainy.
- Add the coconut milk and pulse until it comes together into a dough.
- Flour your working surface well and place the dough on that surface. Knead it a few times to bring it together, adding more flour if it's too sticky.
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a thin sheet and carefully cut small rounds - transfer these rounds of dough in your mini tart pans and press them well on the bottm and sides of the pans. Work carefully as the dough is delicate, but luckily it can be patched.
- Bake the crusts in the pre-heated oven at 350F - 180C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown,
- Let the crusts cool in the pans.
- Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Cover the filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Spoon the filling into a pastry bag and pipe it into the chilled crusts.
- Store in the fridge until serving time.

ROMANIAN
Mananc Responsabil – Retete gustoase pentru persoanele cu nevoi speciale de alimentatie – O campanie organizata de Alimente Speciale si The Smart Cuisine la care am onoarea sa particip luna aceasta, o campanie bine-venita de altfel in contextul in care am tot mai multe persoane in jurul meu cu diferite afectiuni care necesita un regim alimentar special, de la intoleranta la gluten la diabet. Mai multe detalii despre campanie, obiectivul si mecanismul ei puteti citi pe pagina speciala dedicata #ManancResponsabil.
In pachetelul primit la inceputul campaniei se afla un borcan cu ceva ce eu una nu mai gustasem decat o data pana acum – piure de castane. M-am tot sucit, m-am invartit si razgandit de zeci de ori ce sa fac cu el pana cand m-am oprit la aceaste tarte fara gluten si fara zahar rafinat, dar atat de bune incat ai mei mancaciosi au cerut bis. Crema e putin ciudata in sensul ca e foarte lichida la inceput, insa pe masura ce sta la rece se incheaga si devine groasa, numai buna de pus in posul de patiserie. Ce as schimba data viitoare e sa inlocuiesc untul cu unt de cocos pentru a obtine o reteta fara lactoza. Oricum ar fi, tartele sunt delicioase si a fost chiar interesant sa lucrez cu un aluat de tarta fara gluten – e mai greu de intins, nu o sa va mint, dar in caz ca se rupe poate fi peticit cu usurinta si se poate lucra cu el fara probleme.
Ingrediente:
Cruste mini-tarte:
- 200g mix de faina fara gluten
- 90g unt, taiat cuburi
- 2 linguri lapte de cocos
Crema de castane si ciocolata:
- 200ml lapte de cocos, rece
- 200g piure de castane
- 50g sirop de agave
- 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
- 70g ciocolata neagra, topita (cel putin 70% continut de cacao)
Mod de preparare:
Cruste mini-tarte:
- Amestecati mixul de faina cu untul in vasul robotului de bucatarie si pulsati pana obtineti un amestec nisipos.
- Adaugati laptele de cocos si pulsati pana obtineti un aluat omogen.
- Transferati aluatul pe masa de lucru bine infainata si framantati-l sa obtineti un aluat omogen, adaugand mai multa faina in caz ca se lipeste de maini.
- Infasurati aluatul in folie alimentara si dati la rece 30 minute.
- Intindeti aluatul intr-o foaie subtire si taiat cercuri suficient de mari incat sa incapa in formele de mini-tarte pe care le aveti. Mie mi-au iesit 6 mini-tarte, dar depinde foarte mult de marimea tavilor voastre.
- Coaceti crustele in cuptorul pre-incalzit la 180C pentru 15-20 minute pana crustele sunt aurii pe margini si usor crocante. Lasati sa se raceasca in tavi.
Crema de castane si ciocolata:
- Amestecati toate ingredientele intr-un blender sau robot de bucatarie si pulsati pana obtineti o crema omogena.
- Acoperiti cu folie alimentara la suprafata si dati la rece cel putin 4 ore.
- Puneti crema intr-un pos si umpleti tartele.
Such adorable little tarts! Love the use of chestnuts, I’m sure they go really well with chocolate 🙂
Thank you!